Asia pivot: U.S. plan to close 15 bases in Europe noted in Moscow

Asia pivot: U.S. plan to close 15 bases in Europe noted in Moscow

Special to WorldTribune.com By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com In a major move to further reduce U.S. military presence in Europe and implement the shift of strategic weight toward Asia, the Pentagon has announced the closing of at least 15 long-standing U.S. military bases across Europe. The base-closings impact America’s major allies in […]

Sanctions stress spurs Putin trip to India seeking expanded deals

Sanctions stress spurs Putin trip to India seeking expanded deals

Special to WorldTribune.com By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in New Delhi on Dec. 10 in hopes of securing big-ticket deals. Putin’s Russia is feeling severe economic pain caused by rising global energy sources, falling oil prices exacerbated by Western sanctions to punish Putin’s gambit in Ukraine. India is by far the […]

British to establish permanent base near U.S. Fifth Fleet’s in Bahrain

Special to WorldTribune.com By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com Great Britain recently announced that it would re-establish a permanent military base in the Middle East. The site will be Port Mina Salman in Bahrain where the U.S. Fifth Fleet has its headquarters. The new base will cost the UK government $23 million to build, but most of […]

Putin’s ‘strategic’ deal with Turkey’s Erdogan could weaken NATO

Putin’s ‘strategic’ deal with Turkey’s Erdogan could weaken NATO

Special to WorldTribune.com By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com Beleaguered Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Turkey on Dec. 1 for a carefully planned and hyped state visit. The goal was to seal a wide range of “strategic deals” with the important NATO ally. Turkey is also the holder of several “chokepoints” to the Black Sea where […]

NORAD tracks Russia’s Object 2014-28E as possible satellite killer

NORAD tracks Russia’s Object 2014-28E as possible satellite killer

Special to WorldTribune.com By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com Six months ago, Russia launched a mysterious space device called the Object 2014-28E but no one knew exactly what it was and what it was supposed to do until the last couple of weeks. Experts have begun to realize that Object 2014-28E could well be Russia’s new satellite […]

Tit-for-tat diplomat expulsions by Russia and West recalls Cold War

Tit-for-tat diplomat expulsions by Russia and West recalls Cold War

Special to WorldTribune.com By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com A diplomatic war between Moscow and the West has flared up, the old fashioned Cold War way. The exchange occurred on the eve of the European Union’s meeting in Brussels to discuss further sanctions against Russia. A German female diplomat working in Germany’s embassy in Moscow was expelled […]

Gorbachev blames West for post-Cold War monopoly leadership

Gorbachev blames West for post-Cold War monopoly leadership

Special to WorldTribune.com By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com On the joyous occasion of the 25th anniversary of the collapse of the Berlin Wall, former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev made a highly-charged speech at the Brandenburg Gate on Nov. 8, which represented an about-face in his worldview. Gorbachev chastised the West in general and the United […]

Russian spy plane enters Estonia airspace, triggers NATO alert

Russian spy plane enters Estonia airspace, triggers NATO alert

Special to WorldTribune.com By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com Estonia, a NATO member state, is demanding an explanation from Moscow over an incident last week involving a Russian intelligence-gathering aircraft. The plane flew unannounced into Estonian airspace, provoking an emergency scramble by the NATO defense system. NATO confirmed that its F-16s were dispatched after detecting the Russian […]

Moscow, Amsterdam in heated dispute over submarine sightings

Moscow, Amsterdam in heated dispute over submarine sightings

Special to WorldTribune.com By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com Russia and the Netherlands have accused each other of sending a submarine into Swedish territorial waters. On Oct. 17, the Swedish military launched a massive search for a mysterious foreign submarine in its territorial waters. The reports led to speculation that the uninvited submarine belonged to Russia and […]

Putin exploits latest Biden gaffe, offers helping hand to Turkey

Special to WorldTribune.com By Miles Yu, Geostrategy-Direct.com When U.S. Vice President openly chastised Turkey for allowing foreign militant fighters to cross its territory into Syria to join Islamist State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), President Vladimir Putin of Russia picked up the phone. Putin, estranged from the international community for his Ukraine gambit, called Turkey’s […]